Ezy does it, George...
Cautious star goes for choruses of approval on album which was written in a Norfolk cabin
Unassuming George Ezra, 24, found fame with his travelogue debut album Wanted On Voyage.
His odd, deep voice and his ‘whistle while you work’ hits, such as Budapest and Blame It On Me, saw him top charts, get nominated for Brits and lead singalongs on Glastonbury’s main stage.
Only Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith (inset) outsold The Ez in 2014, so making belated follow-up Staying At Tamara’s wasn’t exactly pressure free. “There was a moment about six months into writing and recording when I thought “sh**, people are going to hear this. I’d just been in my own little world,” says the Hertfordshire son of schoolteachers.
“I didn’t write the songs to match the commercial success on Wanted on Voyage, but this time I knew what I enjoyed playing live.
“I knew what worked with a festival audience, I knew how good it felt to have singalong choruses. So I did my best to write some singalong numbers.”
Living up to his cautious image, George has followed the creative formula that worked so well first time round, taking his trusty guitar to a series of low-key locations to write songs. On the two-year tour that had followed his debut success George had tasted the high life. In America, he and his crew got private tours of NASA and The White House.
But left to his own devices, he favoured places such as the Barcelona Airbnb of the title track and a cabin in Norfolk with no electricity, where he shacked up for 10 days.
“There wasn’t another soul in sight – just a neighbouring pig farm,” he says. “I took my guitar, notebooks and a little battery powered radio. It was one of the most amazing experiences. I absolutely loved it. If ever I disappear, you know where to find me.” For now, he’s got a lot more touring to do. Surely he’s out to stick it to his closest rivals, Sam Smith or King Ed Sheeran, this time round?
“I don’t think there is rivalry between us at all,” he says, grinning. “I could be wrong, though – you’d have to ask them.
“I’ve spent time with them both. Sam did me one of the biggest favours on the first album and invited me to support him on his huge US tour. As a result, my first show in New York was Madison Square Garden. So if you’re reading this, Sam… IOU.”
George Ezra plays Custom House Square, Belfast on Friday, August 10, 2018. Tickets available from today.